Two years after the Legislature legalized the sport, the Maine Mixed Martial Arts authority has sanctioned two events, both in Portland.

The first bout will be held April 30 at the Stevens Avenue Armory. The second will be held May 6 at the Portland Expo.

The Portland Press Herald says the Massachusetts-based Global Fight League will produce the event, providing video coverage, lighting, staffing, big-screen televisions and the cage the fights are known for.

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Martial Arts Authority Chairman Bill Bouffard said the authority spent the last year developing rules to govern the sport.

Rumford Rep. Matthew Peterson sponsored the bill that legalized mixed martial arts in Maine as a way to spur economic development and boost tourism.